Following the visit, Amor made several key statements addressing the political and judicial dimensions of the case.
Amor praised the mass public protests that followed İmamoğlu’s imprisonment, stating: "I would like to convey my gratitude to the protesters. They achieved a clear political target. They impeded the appointment of a kayyım [government trustee] to İstanbul’s mayorship. It was the enormous scale of the protests that convinced the government there were no conditions to impose a kayyım on the city."
"I love Turkey, I love İstanbul. İstanbul has always come out to the streets defending democracy. It happened with Gezi, it happened with the coup attempt, it happened now with the situation of İmamoğlu,” Amor said.
He described İmamoğlu’s prosecution as a "completely fabricated case" and emphasized that “using the judiciary to eliminate political opponents is one of the biggest obstacles on Turkey’s path to EU membership.” He attributed the case to political motivations, saying, "Why is Ekrem İmamoğlu here in Silivri? Because [AKP candidates] Yıldırım and Kurum failed. The AKP sent another contender: the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor, tasked with removing Mayor İmamoğlu."
Amor also stated that the imprisoned mayor was in good health and high spirits. "I found Ekrem Bey in an excellent mood. In a fighty mood! Which is exactly the spirit he always showed. He is also concerned for the fate of many other people – the innocent officials suffering the consequences of him being a political target."
"There is hope and there is a future for Turkey in the European Union. And the future of the European Union starts here in Silivri Prison," Amor concluded.
(DT)
